acoustic torture and self-torture is not restricted to the rock world.
Conductors of symphony orchestras are quite happy with the pain that they
cause among their musicians. They are fully aware of it, and they like it.

Excessive loudness is not restricted to music, and excessive sensory input
is not restricted to acoustics.

If one wants to keep the damage under control, there is no other way than
legislation and policing. Mankind learned that this was unavoidable in road
traffic, and it will learn that it is also unavoidable in noise traffic.

Do you know the answer to the opposite: why is rock music more enjoyable
loud? I think that it would be important to understand.
Laszlo Toth
Hungarian Academy of Sciences *
Research Group on Artificial Intelligence * "Failure only begins
e-mail: tothl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * when you stop trying"
http://www.inf.u-szeged.hu/~tothl *